Page 117 (1/2)

The road was overgrohere no summer work crews had hacked back weeds and brae coed with charred fire pits; swathes of grass grazed low and not yet recovered; remnants of leather and rivets and the shards of a broken pot Shallow ditches where folk had relieved thes over These, in turn, disturbed by creatures enticed by the odor

It was y The cloud cover had burned so thin that he saw traces of shadow rippling along the furrows on wheels Baldwin had pushed ahead The tail of his spare mount flicked and vanished as the road rounded away in a bend

Everyone spoke of Liath But what had happened to Hanna?

Dear Hanna

All at once, he eeping Sobbing

Ahead, branches crackled out in the wood

So

He sucked in his breath and unsheathed the sword the sergeant had given hie aurochs stepped onto the road It bent a surly eye upon hi h his tears, he watched in awe as its broad back receded into the forest

"Ivar! Ivar!"

The aurochs broke into a run and bolted into the trees Why did that daht hear?

He urged the mare forward and passed out fro, startled Baldaved cheerfully, and Ivar squinted A procession of no more than twoscore folk had halted on the road ahead of the up froers with handcarts and children, their hoes and shovels and scythes raised to do battle, and men in the brown robes of the faithful

"Monks!" called Baldwin "Maybe these are the survivors froer Cloister"